Wise words from Rev. John Burwell:
I have to keep reminding myself that this is not my battle. This battle belongs to the Lord. He will win it. We prayed for clarity, and boy-oh-boy, we got it. By voting the way this House has decided to vote today on so many resolutions, they have indeed clarified themselves. The other House, the House of bishops concurs. We really do have two religions trying to exist under one roof. We are a house divided against itself. Jesus is quite clear about the ramifications of such a design.
In your emails to me I’ve had a lot of questions concerning our future – questions like, “What does this Convention’s actions mean for our future?” I won't begin to answer that by myself, because I am part of a diocese – The Diocese of South Carolina. I have ideas, and I will share them with our bishop and our Standing Committee. But I trust our leadership to guard the faith given to us, and I am not at all worried about the future of our diocese. I know that a whole lot of behind-the-scenes work has already been done, in anticipation of the very Convention we've had. I know what Windsor needed, and I know that we have not given it to them. I know what some Archbishops are already saying. God is working out his plan. This is not the time to try to fight a political battle. "The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."
In your emails to me I’ve had a lot of questions concerning our future – questions like, “What does this Convention’s actions mean for our future?” I won't begin to answer that by myself, because I am part of a diocese – The Diocese of South Carolina. I have ideas, and I will share them with our bishop and our Standing Committee. But I trust our leadership to guard the faith given to us, and I am not at all worried about the future of our diocese. I know that a whole lot of behind-the-scenes work has already been done, in anticipation of the very Convention we've had. I know what Windsor needed, and I know that we have not given it to them. I know what some Archbishops are already saying. God is working out his plan. This is not the time to try to fight a political battle. "The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."
posted by John Zahl at
4:43 PM
5 Comments:
Wise words indeed.
It is hard, though, not to wonder what comes next.
I am personally saddened beyond expressions of words.
I love my church.
Mike
I am sad to see the church destroyed. I think we should have moved forward 3 years ago, though. I don’t think the clarity is significantly better on this situation now than it was 3 years ago. We have just been fooling ourselves about the reality of the situation. This unbelievably motivated and organized lobby driven by the powerful need to deal with the guilt of sin has won complete control of ECUSA. Their victory is tragically pyrrhic. They will soon find out that their guilt and burden is not assuaged by the affirmation of ECUSA. ECUSA’s forgiveness will not give them solace. Sadly, both sides will be tragic losers in this battle. We have lost our church, and they have gained nothing. I’m looking forward with hope for the new future. I pray that my local parish will be given the courage to do what it needs to do.
rpc
The thing that I find the most tragic is the future of BOTH "tracks" of the Anglican church in America. Everyone on this web site is agreed about the tremendous loss ECUSA is experiencing (though she does not know it) by excising the Evangelicals from their midst: their love of Bible truth, their low anthropology, their high premium on blood atonement and so on. If I go on about that on this web site (and I could!) I am just preaching to the choir.
But I really feel like the other track, the traditionalists in America, are in grave danger too. Because it seems an undeniable fact to me that this will be a church that was BIRTHED in "unabreacted rage" (to steal a phrase from Paul Zahl) and, as regards gay people, self-righteousness and smug Pelagian Pharasaical condemnation. They call themselves evangelicals but when I listen to them -- espcially the rank and file who post on a lot of these conservative sites (this one excluded!) -- they sound light-years from the early Evangelicals of the 1500s and their understanding of the bound human will on which our Lord took such compassion and pity.
The solution of course is not to mix in with the Pharasaical Right a little bit of ECUSA theology -- which is totally bankrupt. The solution as always is the Gospel. I just wonder if we properly realize when faced with horrible events like those of Columbus last week how much our own side needs to hear the Gospel too.
PZ once suggested to me that every church (small C) has a "besetting sin" or "besetting weakness" which the Devil always exploits. The Pentecostals, he said for example, have the weakness of "wanting to pole-vault over Calvary on their way to Pentecost."
I think it would benefit the orthodox to think on this carefully in the years ahead -- how is the Devil exploiting our rage, our pride, our smug demands that gay people change their behavior as a precondition for hearing the inbreaking word of Grace?
PS. Loved John Burwell's piece, and the thoughts of Mike Burton and Richard Cook.
I think Richard's thought about the "powerful need to deal with the guilt of sin" is very good.
It is the only way I can begin to understand the extremity of the hostility that I, and others of the "traditional" side, have encountered recently.
Love never tires, just as the "guilt of sin" never seems to tire. But love usually offers a breather or two, or at least just a little space or catch-up time. Love abounds in "Christmas Day Armistices" such as happened on the Western Front in 1916. It doesn't take every last drop of blood in a person. Only the Law does that.
I don't experience any breathers from the dominant majority; and have simply never come up against anything as "total-war"-ish as what they are doing.
There's got to be an explanation for it, and I think RPC is on to the thing -- as in "Law came in to increase the trespass". Something like that.
I think we should all go out and see "The Quiet Man" again. It ends up exactly as we have not.
I think John Stamper's warning is right on time. No doubt, this fight has been bitter, on both sides.
PZ is right when he asks, "Where is the Love?". The other side just couldn't/can't bring themselves to it. I don't understand that.
In any event, we have to show the Love. That will be hard for the righteous among us.
We must never forget that we are sinners, just as the "other side", the only difference being that we recognize it and our need for redemption.
That is where it all comes down, for me, anyway. That is why I can't hang in there (with ECUSA) any longer.
Peace.
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